My Sister’s Keeper

My Sister’s Keeper

by

Jodi Picoult

Andromeda “Anna” Fitzgerald

Anna is the protagonist of the novel. A 13-year-old girl and the youngest of three children, Anna was conceived via in vitro fertilization so that she could be a donor for her sister Kateread analysis of Andromeda “Anna” Fitzgerald

Kate Fitzgerald

The middle child of the Fitzgerald family, Kate is 16 at the start of the novel—an age she was never expected to reach. At age two, Kate was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and was… read analysis of Kate Fitzgerald

Sara Fitzgerald

Sara is the mother of Jesse, Kate, and Anna Fitzgerald. She was deeply devastated by Kate’s cancer diagnosis, vowing to keep her daughter from dying at all costs. As a result, Kate’s treatment… read analysis of Sara Fitzgerald

Brian Fitzgerald

Brian is the father of Jesse, Kate, and Anna and the husband of Sara. A firefighter, Brian is somewhat less involved in Kate’s treatment than Sara is, which is partially intentional… read analysis of Brian Fitzgerald

Jesse Fitzgerald

Jesse is the oldest child of the Fitzgerald family and receives the least attention from his parents. Although he’s shown to be a bright and curious child in flashbacks, these positive traits are later buried… read analysis of Jesse Fitzgerald
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Campbell Alexander

Campbell Alexander is Anna’s attorney, representing her in her petition for medical emancipation. A wealthy lawyer interested in bolstering his own reputation, he initially refuses to take on Anna’s case but, intrigued by her… read analysis of Campbell Alexander

Julia Romano

Julia is Anna’s guardian ad litem, assigned to her in order to act as an advocate for Anna in court. Julia cares deeply about Anna but struggles to ascertain her motivations and intentions… read analysis of Julia Romano

Suzanne “Zanne” Crofton

Suzanne is Sara’s older sister. In contrast to Sara, who left her profession as a lawyer to become a stay-at-home mom, Suzanne climbed the corporate ladder, never got married or had children, and became… read analysis of Suzanne “Zanne” Crofton

Dr. Chance

Dr. Chance is Kate’s primary oncologist after she is diagnosed with APL. Since he begins treating her at age two and is still overseeing her care when she is 16, he knows the Fitzgeralds… read analysis of Dr. Chance

Judge DeSalvo

Judge DeSalvo is the judge presiding over Anna’s case. A few years before the events of the novel, Judge DeSalvo’s 12-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver. This tragedy initially makes Campbell worried… read analysis of Judge DeSalvo

Isobel “Izzy” Romano

Izzy is Julia’s twin sister. The two are quite different from each other, with Izzy selling jewelry made of found materials while Julia works a typical 9-5 job. Izzy moves in with Julia after… read analysis of Isobel “Izzy” Romano

Judge

Judge is Campbell’s service dog, specifically a German Shepherd. For much of the novel, Campbell refuses to tell anyone Judge’s specific purpose, but after Campbell has a seizure in court, it’s revealed that Judge… read analysis of Judge

Taylor Ambrose

Taylor is Kate’s first boyfriend. The two meet at the hospital while Kate is undergoing chemo for her cancer. Taylor has acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which has a much better prognosis than Kate’s APL… read analysis of Taylor Ambrose

Jenna Ambrose

Jenna is Taylor’s mother. Sara briefly speaks with her after Taylor’s death, at which point Jenna tells her that she sat with Taylor’s body hours after he died and still thinks she can hear… read analysis of Jenna Ambrose

Paulie

Paulie is one of Brian’s colleagues. He is divorced after his wife left him for a cellist. Out of all the firefighters, he’s known Brian the longest and can often sense when something is… read analysis of Paulie

Kerri Donatelli

Kerri is Campbell’s receptionist. She is shown to be somewhat lazy, often reading magazines at the front desk. However, she reliably follows Campbell’s orders and relays his phone calls to him. She is initially… read analysis of Kerri Donatelli

Beatta Neaux

Dr. Neaux is a child psychiatrist who has spoken with Jesse, Kate, and Anna at multiple points throughout their childhoods. Sara calls her as an expert witness so that she can testify that… read analysis of Beatta Neaux

Duracell Dan

“Duracell Dan,” known by this name due to his penchant for collecting batteries, is a homeless man. Jesse brings him meals in exchange for Dan looking after his arson paraphernalia. At one point, Jesse brings… read analysis of Duracell Dan
Minor Characters
Seven
Seven is the bartender at a gay bar that Julia frequents during her rough patches with Campbell. Seven himself is straight and often commiserates with Julia about the difficulty of love.
Caesar
Caesar is one of Brian’s colleagues. He is constantly falling for different women and writes love letters to them, causing Brian to give him love advice.
Red
Red is one of Brian’s colleagues. He often cooks for the team and is described by Brian as a “confirmed bachelor.” When Campbell and Anna get in their car crash, Red uses the Jaws of Life in an attempt to get them out.
Peter Bergen
Dr. Bergen is the head of the board of ethics at Kate’s hospital. He testifies in court to confirm that the board never convened to discuss the ethical ramifications of Anna’s donations to Kate, as they did not consider Anna a patient despite her multiple hospital intakes.
Hercules
Kate’s pet fish whom she is very attached to. Hercules almost dies twice but is saved each time by Sara.
Campbell’s Father
Campbell’s father does not appear in the narrative present, but is shown in flashbacks to be extremely harsh and critical of Campbell in his adolescence. It is suggested that Campbell is emotionally closed off about his epilepsy due to his father’s criticisms of him as weak.
Campbell’s Mother
Campbell’s mother is a rather emotional woman who frequently calls Campbell to accuse Campbell’s father of dating various woman. She often threatens to institutionalize herself, a threat that Campbell does not take very seriously.
Vern Stackhouse
Vern is the town sheriff. He has a good relationship with the Fitzgeralds, which puts him in an awkward position when he has to serve Sara the papers for Anna’s lawsuit. He calls down his journalist sister for the trial after Campbell manipulates him into doing so.
Kyle McFee
Kyle is Anna’s crush whom she often daydreams about throughout the novel. The two go on a movie date together, but it ends awkwardly when Anna realizes Kyle has an erection.
Eldie Briggs
Eldie is an old woman who lives in a nursing home. She falls after having a stroke, resulting in Brian’s team getting called out. Anna comes along with them and provides Eldie comfort as she’s transported to the hospital.
Dr. Orestes
A doctor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. Sara calls him to seek veterinary help for Kate’s pet fish Hercules, who is lethargic. Dr. Orestes suggests giving the fish bottled water instead of tap, which saves the fish.
Judge Newbell
Judge Newbell has his yellow Hummer stolen by Jesse.
Bruce
Bruce is the prosecutor for the case when Jesse steals Judge Newbell’s car. He has a murder case he wants to get back to, making him amenable to Campbell’s plea bargain for Jesse.
Donna
Donna is one of Kate’s oncology nurses. She provides Sara with emotional support one night at the hospital.
“The Rat”
The Rat is a homeless man who lives in a shed full of newspapers. Jesse sets his shed on fire, not realizing that anyone lives inside, then rushes in to rescue him when Duracell Dan tells him the shed is the Rat’s home.
Nadya
Nadya is an interviewer for the local news. She interviews Sara and Brian about their decision to conceive Anna, subtly accusing them of making a “designer baby.”
Dr. Wayne
Dr. Wayne is Kate’s childhood pediatrician. She refers the Fitzgeralds to Ileane Farquad, a hematologist and oncologist, after two-year-old Kate’s lab results point towards leukemia.
Ileane Farquad
Ileane Farquad is a hematologist and oncologist who first diagnoses Kate with APL.
Jimmy Stredboe
One of Anna’s classmates who was bullied until he developed multiple sclerosis, after which point everyone started being nice to him.
Pawn Shop Owner
A shop owner to whom Anna sells her locket, a gift from Brian, in order to raise money for her lawsuit.
Luisa
A young girl whom Brian rescues from a house fire.
Mrs. Zegna
A woman who lost all of her clothes after her house burned down and now has to wear an octopus costume. She did not have home insurance and thus has lost all of her belongings and most of her assets.